70 DICTIOXARY OF POPULAR NAMES BUTCHER 



erect. The flowers are produced on a simple spadix 3 or 4 feet 

 long, enclosed in a tougli, brown spathe of an interwoven fibrous 

 character, of which bags, caps, and such-like articles are made. 

 The fruit is normally three- sided, covered with blunt tubercles ; 

 it is of no special use. The leaves of this palm are the most 

 important product, being used by the Indians for covering their 

 huts, etc. 



Butchers' Broom {Ruscus aculeaHs), a caespitose, stiff, erect 

 spiny-leaved shrub of the Asparagus section of the Lily family 

 (Liliaceae), native of the southern parts of England and of 

 Europe generally, on the sea-coasts. Its flowers are small, 

 borne in a tuft on the under side of the stiff, spiny leaves. The 

 fruit is red, about the size of a small cherry; it possesses but 

 little economic value, except that the young shoots are tender 

 and eaten like asparagus. Other species of Euscus common in 

 gardens are R. Tiypophylhim and R. hyjooglossitm, low, bushy 

 evergreen shrubs, natives of Europe. B. racemosus, a native of 

 Portugal, differs from the preceding, as it produces its flowers in 

 distinct racemes and not on the leaves; it is known by the 

 name of Alexandria Laurel. R. androgynus is a strong climbing 

 species, native of Portugal. Tliis, again, differs from the other 

 species in producing its flowers on the margin of the leaves. 



Buttercup. — Under this name the flowers of two or three 

 species of Eanunculus are known, namely — R. acris, R. bulbosus, 

 and R. repens. They are common English plants of the Butter- 

 cup family (Eanunculacese), enlivening woods and meadows in 

 the month of May with brilliant yellow flowers, called also 

 King Cups and Gold Cups, and supposed to be the " Cuckoo 

 buds of yellow hue" of Shakespeare. They are acrid and blister- 

 ing, often inflaming the mouth of cattle, as does also the annual 

 corn weed, R. armnsis. 



Butter Nut. {See Souari Nut.) 



Butter Trees, a name given to several trees whose fruits or 

 bark yield a solid oily or fatty substance, of which the following 

 are the principal : — 1. Bassia lutyracca, a middle-sized tree 

 of the Star Apple family (Sapotacese), native of Nepal and other 



